A Shoulder To Lean On
by livsgirl
Summary: Olivia invites Amanda out for a drink after her sister shows up at the station. This is friendship only.


"Hold the elevator," Olivia called out hoping that Rollins would stop the elevator for her. This would be her chance to talk to the blonde haired detective alone. Thankfully, Rollins held the elevator for her. Olivia quickly entered the elevator and leaned against the wall, unsure if she should say anything at all.

"Got plans tonight?" Rollins asked giving Olivia the opening she needed.

"No, I'm beat," she answered with a smile, "What about you?"

"I'm going to order some pizza and spend some time with my sister. I haven't been able to since she arrived in town."

"She seems like a handful."

"She can be but that's Kim. Calm for her is a storm for everyone else."

"Still, take care of yourself," Olivia said as the elevators doors opened.

Olivia stepped off the elevator and took a few steps toward home when she stopped in her tracks. There was more to the story than what Rollins was telling. Any rookie cop could tell that and suddenly Olivia felt the urge to help the detective.

Rollins had transferred to the Special Victims Unit last year in the middle of turmoil. The unit was under investigation for a shooting that had happened in the precinct. The shooting had left an innocent victim, Sister Peg, and the accused rapist/murderer dead. A dirty ATF agent was wounded and the shooter was killed by her then partner Elliot Stabler.

Stabler had been with New York Police Department for over twenty years and over twelve of those had been spent with the Special Victims Unit. A good ten years longer than the average tour in the unit. After the shooting and death of the young girl, who was almost the same age his youngest daughter, he decided to turn in his papers and take a well deserved retirement. She was happy that he had survived the mean streets and numerous victims they encountered, but how he went about it hurt her the most. After a year, she had yet to hear from him.

Olivia turned and watched the detective walk away when it hit her. She knew very little about Detective Amanda Rollins. Rollins, bless her heart, was the biggest outsider of the two new detectives. Not only to the unit but the department as well, then if she wanted to get technical to the state as well.

Rollins had transferred to not only NYPD but the Special Victims Unit from the Atlanta Police Department in Georgia. To be honest, she didn't even know she had family, much less family in New York, until her sister showed up.

"Rollins," Olivia called out as she jogged to where she had stopped hearing her name called, "Let's go and grab a drink."

"Thanks Liv, but I really need to get home."

"I know you do, but we need to talk before you head that way."

Rollins who had learned the hard way not to butt heads with the senior detective agreed and followed her to a quiet bar near the station. Olivia ordered her drink and then turned and faced Rollins to order hers. She quickly ordered a Jack and Coke despite the grin she saw cross Olivia's face. She was reaching into her pocket for her money when she was stopped by Olivia.

"I've got this round, you can get the next one," Olivia said as she passed the bartender some money before guiding Rollins to a nearby table.

"So you said you needed to talk," Rollins said taking a drink, loving the burn she could feel going down her throat, "What's up?"

"It's about your sister."

"Look, Liv…"

"Just listen, please." Olivia said holding her hand up to stop Rollins, "It's difficult dealing with family. Its even more difficult when your family member has an addiction."

"Liv, my sister doesn't have an addiction and I can handle her."

"Rollins, she does. It's written all over her and I can see. This has nothing to do with my years with the department. It has to do with my personal experiences of dealing with someone who struggled with addiction."

Rollins looked at Olivia with a confused look realizing that other than a few bits and pieces she knew nothing of the woman she trusted her life to daily.

"My mother was an alcoholic my entire life. She was raped one night on her way home from college and I am a product of that rape. I was a constant everyday reminder of the worse day of her life. Because of that she turned to alcohol. She told me one time that I was the reason she had to drink. As soon as I could, I moved out and started with the department."

"I'm sorry, Olivia." Rollins whispered as she reached out to hold the detectives hand.

"Don't be, I've put my pain and anguish to good use. But I will say my biggest regret was not trying to help her. Maybe enroll her in a rehab program. Sometimes I think if I had she would still be here today."

"The damage from alcohol is irreversible."

"I guess I should be thankful that she died before that could happen. My mother, Serena, was a falling down drunk up until her death. She fell down a flight of stairs and died as a result of the fall."

"You of all people know there was no guarantee that rehab would have worked for her."

"I do and I have come to terms with it, but I'm telling you this because I know how hard it is to deal with it on your own. I did it my entire life up until she died. Elliot would always offer me help if I needed it, but I would always refuse. This stupidity was done for two reasons. The first was because I was afraid what people would think if they discover my secret. The second because I felt as if it was my cross to bare and no one else's. The last thing I want was to drag someone else into my hell that I lived daily."

"I can handle my sister," Rollins said a bit defensively.

"I'm not saying that you can't," Olivia stated as she downed the last of her drink, "I just wanted to let you know that you have people that you can lean on. Whether you need help for a rehab or just a shoulder to cry on. I'm here to help you anyway I can."

"Thank you," Rollins said standing with Olivia having finished her drink when she realized that Olivia knew her secret, "I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," She said as they walked out the door into the crisp cool night air.

"Thank you for the drink and I have the next round," Rollins said as she pulled her jacket on and started to walk away.

"I mean it," Olivia said reaching out to stop her from walking away, "I'm always a phone call away. Any of us are and nothing ever goes farther then you want it to go."

Rollins shook her head acknowledging Olivia, unable to find her voice. For the first time in over a year, she not only felt as if she was finally a part of the unit but that she was no longer alone in one of the heaviest populated city in the United States.

* * *

**A/N: After finally getting to watch the episode from last week this one shot came to me. I figure who better to give Rollins advice on addiction and victims than Olivia. She lived with it her whole life. **


End file.
